“When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford professor and the beloved writer of The Chronicles of Narnia, yet their minds bonded…
The patron’s comment: “That was so good!” About Hour of the Witch: “Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a…
Patron’s comment: “Mrs. Roberts outdid herself with Legacy. She held my attention so well. I can’t say enough about this book.” About the book: “Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her―before her mother, Lina, stepped in. Soon after, Adrian was dropped…
Our patron said The Maidens was “really good, one of those page turners.” “Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students…
The Witch Boy – Molly Knox Ostertag (ebook) “In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden…
Keeper of the Lost Cities – Shannon Messenger (ebook) “Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at…
Kaila enjoyed Planet Earth is Blue, and thought fans of books like Wonder and The War that Saved My Life might like it, too. “Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger–it’s the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live…
The Darkest Minds – Alexandra Bracken “When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that…
Our patron’s thoughts on the book: “The author is a local woman ( Peabody) and has written four books, her latest, Willow Run, was writtnen at the young age of 95. Her other books are Kwa Heri Means Goodbye, A Door Just Opened Africa Calling Me Back and recently, Willow Run I have not been…
Our patron’s thoughts on the book: “Every page is a gem. Interlocking stories of Olive Kitteridge as she and her neighbors in Crosby, Maine, deal with love, families, aging, disappointment and the endearing foibles of human beings.” The publisher’s summary: “The iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but also…
Our patron’s thoughts on the book: Tyler’s wonderdul quirky characters work their way through relationships and life. As Micah, a middle-aged computer repairman, begins to understand himself and the choices he has made, he says, “I am a roomful of broken hearts.” This is one of Tyler’s best, with a lovely sweet subtle ending. The…
Our patron’s thoughts on the book: Story of an American family with 12 children – six of whom are diagnosed schizophrenic. Fascinating look at mental illness in America through the mid-20th century. Riveting detail about the scientific pursuit for answers, medical treatments, social stigmas associated with diagnosis, and the impact of all these factors in…
A patron thought City of Thieves was a “good read.” “During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an…
About The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, the patron said: “This book is truly remarkable. It is hard to describe, but it was just so magical and moving.” “When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a…
A patron recently returned the two books below and said: “These were both really good.” The Paris Orphan – Natasha Lester “New York City/Paris, 1942: When American model Jessica May arrives in Europe to cover the war as a photojournalist for Vogue, most of the soldiers are determined to make her life as difficult as…
“Obstetrician Dr. Sophie Savard returns home to the achingly familiar rhythms of Manhattan in the early spring of 1884 to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. With the help of Dr. Anna Savard, her dearest friend, cousin, and fellow physician she plans to continue her work aiding the disadvantaged women society would…
“Former CIA case officer Charles Jenkins is a man at a crossroads: in his early sixties, he has a family, a new baby on the way, and a security consulting business on the brink of bankruptcy. Then his former bureau chief shows up at his house with a risky new assignment: travel undercover to Moscow…
“After an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico destroys three oil rigs trying to revive a dying field, Kurt Austin and the NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) Special Projects Team are tapped by the President of the United States to find out what’s gone wrong. The trail leads them to a brilliant billionaire in…
“New York, 1879: An epic blizzard descends on Albany, devastating the city. When the snow finally settles, two newly orphaned girls are missing. Determined not to give up hope, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, searches for the two sisters. When what happened to them is finally revealed, Dr. Sutter must fight the most…
“Six days ago, Joe Lynch was a happily married man, a devoted father, and a respected teacher living in a well-to-do London suburb. But that was before he spotted his wife’s car entering a hotel parking garage. Before he saw her in a heated argument with her best friend’s husband. Before Joe confronted the other…
“London, 1880. “I’m dreadfully afraid someone is threatening to kill my wife …” When accounts clerk Ernest Stibbins approaches the World’s End investigation bureau with wild claims that his wife Albertina has been warned by her spirit guides that someone is out to harm her, the bureau’s owner Lily Raynor and her new employee Felix…
“For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven’s Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained by the blood sacrifice…
July brings four new core roleplaying game books to the Peabody Institute of Danvers. The Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook, a vital resource for running a Call of Cthulhu 7th edition campaign. Our Starfinder collection is rounded out with the Starfinder Alien Archive, a supplement for both players and gamemasters. The daring world of Théah…
“In 1965 writer-activist-monk Thomas Merton fulfilled a twenty-four-year dream and went to live as a hermit beyond the walls of his Trappist monastery. Seven months later, after a secret romance with a woman half his age, he was in danger of losing it all. Yet on the very day that his abbot uncovered the affair,…
“Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are forced to confront the past as they try to solve a crime that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of a quiet, historic medieval town in England The cozy, bucolic town of Ludlow is stunned when one of its most revered and respected citizens–Ian…
“Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier. Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in…
Our patron called this “the best, funniest book.” About the book: “Dell Haley’s mama always told her there were two things a man couldn’t get enough of: good cookin’ and good lovin’. Dell has the cooking down pat — the proof is in her fried apple pies. But she suspects her husband is getting more…
One of our patrons had glowing things to say about The Water Diviner starring Russell Crowe. He highly recommends checking it out. About this film: “In 1919, an Australian farmer travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to try and locate his three missing sons. With insurmountable obstacles he must travel across the battle-scarred Turkish…
“At the high-end designer consignment shop Snapdragon, Helen Hawthorne must cater to the whims of snobby-yet-frugal customers like Chrissy, who comes in to sell a purse and ends up causing a scene. But when Chrissy is found dead in a dressing room with a hand-painted scarf around her neck, Helen goes from being low on…
Our patron, who loved this title, recommends the book to readers who like historical fiction/WWII era books, and mentioned that it would be a great choice for book groups.
An audiobook-loving patron recently recommended the following two titles, both of which, she noted, have good narrators: First up, a work of “inspiring” non-fiction: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. “In this memoir adapted for young readers, William Kamkwamba describes the drought that struck his tiny village in Malawi, his subsequent interest…
A patron returning Gemini said it was terrific. Here’s a bit more about the book, taken from the publisher’s summary: “Dr. Charlotte Reese works in the intensive care unit of Seattle’s Beacon Hospital, tending to patients with the most life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Her job is to battle death—to monitor erratic heartbeats, worry over low…
Publisher’s summary Leila Meacham’s Somerset: One hundred fifty years of Roses‘ Tolivers, Warwicks, and DuMonts! We begin in the antebellum South on Plantation Alley in South Carolina, where Silas Toliver, deprived of his inheritance, joins up with his best friend Jeremy Warwick to plan a wagon train expedition to the “black waxy” promise of a…
About the book: It’s been a decade since the Delongpre family vanished near Bayou Rabineaux, and still no one can explain the events of that dark and sweltering night. No one except Niquette Delongpre, the survivor who ran away from the mangled stretch of guardrail on Highway 22 where the impossible occurred…and kept on running.…
About the book: When James and Bob meet, they forge a never-to-be-forgotten friendship that has been charming readers from Thailand to Turkey. A Street Cat Named Bob is an international sensation, landing on the bestseller list in England for 52 consecutive weeks and selling in 26 countries around the world. Now, James and Bob are…
Publisher’s summary: “When Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The…
“Snow had fallen in the night, and now the great house, standing at the head of the valley, seemed like a five-hundred-year old ship sailing in a white ocean For the Cavendish family, Rutherford Park is much more than a place to call home. It is a way of life marked by rigid rules and…
About the book: “The story begins with a shocking revelation, delivered by a disheveled woman who presents herself at the offices of a respectable law firm in London. At first the receptionist suspects this mysterious woman is a vagrant; the clothes that hang on her frail body are filthy, and she seems unable to speak.…
About the book: “Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when they wed. Now in their late thirties, the deeply devoted couple has everything—except the baby they’ve always wanted. When a…
About the book: “To the public, he’s a hero: a brutal killer who targets sex offenders. To most of London’s police force, he’s the suspect in a gruesome, time-consuming case to be avoided. But to Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan, he’s a murderer—no matter the sins of his victims—and catching him is her job. Assigned to…
About the book: “High in the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century, Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, meets Enza, a practical beauty. But when scandal rocks Ciro’s tiny village, unbeknownst to Enza, he is sent to hide in America. When disaster strikes Enza’s family, she, too, is forced to go to America.…
About the book: “With a voice as distinctive and original as that of The Lovely Bones, and for the fans of the speculative fiction of Margaret Atwood, Karen Thompson Walker’s The Age of Miracles is a luminous, haunting, and unforgettable debut novel about coming of age set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.…
Publisher’s Summary: “When Harry de Leyer first spotted Snowman, the future jumping champion was a scarred plow-horse being toted away to the slaughterhouse. Something about this regal outcast attracted the Dutch immigrant’s attention; he bought the horse for eighty dollars. He later sold him, but Snowman would not stay away; clearing six-foot high fences, he…
Publisher’s Summary: “For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree…
Publisher’s Summary: “A riveting true crime story that vividly recounts the birth of modern forensics.At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, known and feared as “The Killer of Little Shepherds,” terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years—until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the…
Publisher’s Summary: “When the Templeton family takes up residence in an imposing and long-empty manor in the countryside of Victoria, Australia, the locals begin to buzz with gossip. The seven Templetons moved from England and seem unusual, peculiar even—especially when they begin to lead tours through the stately home while dressed in period costume. No…
Publisher’s Summary: “One of the twentieth century’s most extraordinary Americans, Pearl Buck was the first person to make China accessible to the West. She recreated the lives of ordinary Chinese people in The Good Earth, an overnight worldwide bestseller in 1932, later a blockbuster movie. Buck went on to become the first American woman to…
Harm None ~ M. R. Sellars Rowan Gant, self-proclaimed witch, is brought in to help his best friend, Detective Ben Storm, solve a brutal murder that involves elements of Witchcraft. As the number of horribly gruesome murders grows, Rowan is drawn into relentless visions and nightmares that, bit by bit, offer painful clues as to…
The Fountainhead has become an enduring piece of literature, more popular now than when published in 1943. On the surface, it is a story of one man, Howard Roark, and his struggles as an architect in the face of a successful rival, Peter Keating, and a newspaper columnist, Ellsworth Toohey. But the book addresses a…
A patron recommended this book as an antidote to all the violence on television. She loved the humor in the book and if you are looking for a good laugh you might too! The first novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club is a rollicking tale of small-town…
A patron said that this was a very good book. Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, a vibrant cast of colorful characters who navigate tricky family dynamics with hilarity and brio, from magical Manhattan to the picturesque hills of bella Italia. Very Valentine is the first novel in a trilogy and is sure to be…
More than a century ago, a school was constructed in Fort Worth, Texas, for the purpose of housing and educating the orphans of Texas Freemasons. It was a humble project that for years existed quietly on a hillside east of town. Life at the Masonic Home was about to change, though, with the arrival of…
The true story of thirteen women who took a risk on an expensive diamond necklace and, in the process, changed not only themselves but a community. Four years ago, in Ventura, California, Jonell McLain saw a diamond necklace in a local jewelry store display window. The necklace aroused desire first, then a provocative question: Why…
One of our good friends passed on recently. He was a loyal library patron and an avid reader of non-fiction. True crime was his favorite, but he enjoyed any book that taught him something new. He submitted many written reviews of the books he read. Here are few excerpts. We’ll miss you RA! The Poet…
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions,…
Engel is the longest serving broadcaster in Iraq and the only American television reporter to cover the country continuously before, during, and after the 2003 U.S. invasion. Fluent in Arabic, he has had unrivaled access to U.S. military commanders, Sunni insurgents, Shiite militias, Iraqi families, and even President George W. Bush, who called him to…
Quinn (Marie Curie) does a superb job of recounting the rise and fall of the Federal Theatre Project, a wing of FDR’s WPA meant to employ playwrights and actors while providing diversion and inspiration for Depression-ravaged Americans. Quinn shows how, under the management of the irrepressible Hallie Flanagan, the left-leaning FTP facilitated such controversial masterpieces…
The Richistanis like to consider themselves ordinary people who just happen to have tons of money, but they live in a world where people buy boats just to carry their cars and helicopters behind their primary yachts, and ordering an alligator-skin toilet seat won’t make even your interior designer blink. But Frank doesn’t just focus…
The Editorials & Opinions link is up and running again. Sorry for the inconvenience. We always want to hear what you have to say, so please feel free to rate or review your books here.
St. Francis Xavier parish is losing pastors. Over the years, three freaked priests have fled, having beheld Sights Too Terrible To Speak Of. Enter redoubtable replacement Father Rich Melos, who’s both fearless of Satan and Thornbirds-cute. Jane Edwell, plucky proprietor of the Sip and Sit Caf, joins Melos in his bid to blast open the…
A patron recommends Ivo Stourton’s The Night Climbers; typically he’s a non-fiction reader, but he said this novel was wonderful. When James Walker arrives at Tudor College, Cambridge, he tries to create a vague air of mystery about himself in the hope of making the right kind of friends. By accident or fate he encounters…
A patron said that she loved these books, and was glad to have found a new author: “Daddy’s Girl by Lisa Scottoline Natalie Greco loves being a law professor, even though she can’t keep her students from cruising sex.com during class. She loves her family, too, but as a bookworm, doesn’t quite fit in. Then,…
A patron recommends Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. She said that it was excellent and that it took her right back to that time.
A patron recommends… Dorothy Garlock’s River Rising: “A light, entertaining story.”
Fantastic! Not just for kids. Excellent writing. He finds Atlantis! Dave
A patron told me this was won of the two best books she read last year. Here’s a quote from Publisher’s Weekly: “If you’re going to read just one book about alien abductions, make it this one. And if you think alien abduction stories aren’t worth considering seriously, Clancy will convince you otherwise. A postdoctoral…
A patron loved David Baldacci’s The Collectors. Here’s a synopsis from Amazon: “People are dropping dead in Washington, D.C. First the Speaker of the House falls victim to a hitman in a carefully orchestrated murder in front of dozens of the city’s power elite. Next, the director of the Library of Congress’s Rare Books Room…
A Patron just came in and sayed she loved this book. She said it made her cry, but in a good way. “In this conclusion to “The Circle trilogy,” one vampire dares to stand against Lilith and her minions, using his love for the newly-crowned queen of Geall to finally complete the circle of six…
A patron recommends Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s The Cabinet of Curiosities. She got so wrapped up in it, she finished it in two days! “In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered. Inside are thirty-six bodies — all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent…